Are aliens at work in R’fontein?
In my opinion, the RLM has not done what is reasonably practicable.
The issue of the Herald dated 22 July 2016 covered news concerning strange sightings in Randfontein: a baboon on the loose in Helikonpark, dogs on the roof of a house, and even a pig observed near Yellowstone Auto. The article was headlined “Nou’t ons als gesien”.
I suspect there are aliens working in Randfontein. They estimate water and electricity consumption. The electricity consumption at my house in Helikonpark has been estimated for many years. The Randfontein Local Municipality (RLM) cites the famous saying/excuse for not reading the meters – “Gates locked – dogs on premises.” This phase is used freely at several departments at the municipality.
My home’s water meter has never been visible in the approximately six years that I have lived there – and its position is unknown. Yet water consumption is estimated monthly, in the knowledge that the meter is not visible.
I’ve always paid whatever the municipality estimated – but on January 15, 2016, I requested that an actual electricity consumption reading be taken. To my surprise and dismay, my account went up by +/- R40 000, due to under-estimation over the years.
The term “reasonably practicable” seems applicable: consumption can be estimated for a month or two, but then the meter-reader supervisor should arrange for actual readings to be taken and the estimates reconciled. Meanwhile, people are paid for estimating consumption, instead of taking actual readings. In my opinion, the RLM has not done what is reasonably practicable.
As for the estimated water consumption (estimates made knowing that no meter is visible) – it is considered fraudulent to charge the occupant on the basis of an estimate. The monthly account indicates “meter covered”, but this was not a concern for the municipality for +/- 6 years – as long as the occupant paid, the council was happy.
But I am not a “legal eagle”.
These estimates mean that occupants receive official accounts, and if they don’t pay, their electricity gets disconnected. Let’s not even think about the charges for warning notifications, disconnection charges, re-connection charges etc. They then have no choice but to sign pay-off agreements, because they want electricity.
My latest electricity bill was for +/- R11 000, which is unrealistic. When I queried the amount, it was reduced to +/- R 8 000. I refused to pay the account, and arranged for the installation of a pre-paid meter. The municipality then disconnected the electricity supply. The Accounts Department did a full reconciliation of the account, leaving me to pay R 6 150 before power will be restored.
I tried to reason with members of the Financial Department at the municipality and their supervisor, and all they said is that I must pay. The policy of the supervisor is that I must speak to ‘his people’, and he can say or do nothing different than they do. I then wondered what his job description within the organisation said.
After a month without electricity in the winter, with all the inconvenience and security risks, I received a notification telling me that if I don’t pay, they will disconnect my electricity – again!
I am concerned that these aliens might block out the moonlight over my premises after the green notification, and after the red notification, they’ll block the sunlight.
In the mean time, I lodged a complaint with the Gauteng Department of Economic Development Consumer Affairs on 6 July 2016, but have had no feedback to date.
